Quality and value for money public are at the heart of a bill on public procurement, which Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney will bring for debate at second stage in the Dáil tomorrow (Thursday, February 12).
Commenting on the Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021, which was originally introduced by Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins, Deputy Gibney said:
“This bill is about ensuring we make better choices when it comes to public procurement. It gives those designing the process tools to ensure that when we’re spending €19 billion annually on procurement, we see value for that money – in addition to quality and longevity.
“We’ve seen with the National Children’s Hospital and Cervical Check what happens when procurement processes don’t take quality into account, or can’t do so because of the way they’re designed. Ultimately, the public – and the taxpayer – have to deal with the consequences.
“This bill is long overdue and is particularly timely with billions in spending coming down the line under the National Development Plan. It’s vital we have a system that delivers real value for money and this bill is a concrete and constructive step towards that goal.”
To strengthen the national legislative framework for sustainable public procurement, the bill takes a four-part approach by:
- Limiting the awarding of contracts based on ‘lowest-price only’ by providing that contracting authorities should, in principle, award contracts based on the best price-quality ratio.
- Set a target of minimum 50 per cent quality criteria for major public works above the EU threshold of €5,350,000.
- Support the issuing of ministerial guidelines on potential social and environmental considerations for those designing procurement processes.
- Improve accountability in public procurement, including stronger reporting on the Public Duty on Human Rights and Equality.
February 11, 2026